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Sonja Caywood’s works are featured in private collections across the United States and throughout the world, but the greatest testament to this Dayton-based artist’s ability to capture the subtleties of a scene in brushstrokes are her paintings which hang on the walls of her neighbors and friends.
Why?
Caywood’s pieces focus on agricultural and rural scenes inspired by her ranch-and-cowgirl upbringing– as she explains, “They say you should paint what you know: I know livestock” — so the fact that people in Sheridan, Wyoming and the surrounding area, people who work in and live in the same settings Caywood’s paintings depict, would choose to purchase her works for their own enjoyment suggests she captures something in the everyday that not all eyes see at first glance.
Sheridan Brand was able to catch up with the busy artist recently at the Sagebrush Community Art Center where Caywood shared insights regarding her childhood memories of art, her personal style and the life-altering event which served as an impetus for her transition from passionate hobbyist to professional painter.
SB: Many of your works feature bovine characters. What do you see when you look at a cow that makes it an interesting subject for a painting?
SC: It’s funny, I didn’t appreciate cattle at all growing up. I drew majestic equines instead. Several years ago, a woman from Indiana told me she was going to commission a big cow painting the following year, so I began practicing for it. She never ordered the painting, and by then I was hooked on exaggerating the bovine expressions I’d seen all my life. I’d grown to love them.
SB: What are your earliest memories of art?
SC: I remember watching my Uncle Aubry sketch. I was amazed at his ability to make something where there was just blank paper before. At my recent show in Billings, he spoke of carrying me around to look at all the CM Russell prints at my grandparents’ house. I remember them well.
SB: At what point did art become more than a hobby for you?
SC: I’ve always drawn and painted, but during the time that my kids were little I rarely had time for it with my work schedule. After we lost our youngest daughter during labor in 1996, a pastor friend suggested that perhaps one day I’d paint pictures because of her impact on our lives. I started painting again as therapy — art let me go somewhere in my mind, which helped me heal. And Pastor Logan was right, I essentially do paint pictures today because of that baby. The tragedy of losing her brought art back into my life as a survival skill, a way to deal with, organize, recreate and change the little world in my head. Art became an increasingly important priority in my life, and eventually I quit playing hockey and sold our horses to make more time for it. Losing my full-time job of 17 years with School District #1 two years ago gave me the final push to make art my full-time endeavor.
SB: How would you describe your style?
SC: I’d call my style “painterly realism,” or “impressionistic realism.” We’re used to seeing details up-close, but I’m interested in the opposite: I want my work to look fairly detailed from across a room, but when approached closely, I hope viewers see it dissolve into abstract brushstrokes-shapes of light and dark colors. I never want my paintings to look like photos, but it’s fun when one says, “I thought it was real, but when I got up close, it’s just paint.”
SB: There’s a common adage that artists are born, not made. Do you agree with that sentiment?
SC: Charles Russell said, “To have talent is no credit to its owner.” I agree that some of us are born with innate abilities, but that doesn’t preclude anyone from becoming an artist if they have the desire, passion & determination to learn. Even people with natural talent must work hard to become a successful artist.
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You can learn more about this local artist by visiting her website at SonjaCaywood.com.
